SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – AUGUST 12: Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during the grand opening of the new Buc-ee’s in San Marcos on Wednesday, Aug. 12. 2026. (Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott used a San Antonio appearance Tuesday to highlight the state’s fentanyl prevention efforts and outline public safety priorities for the next legislative session.
During a roundtable with law enforcement officials and mothers who lost children to fentanyl, Abbott said the state is targeting the crisis through border enforcement, highway interdiction, community outreach and school education. He also pointed to a Texas law allowing murder charges when fentanyl supplied by someone causes a death, saying more than 40 such cases have been filed.
Abbott said he plans to seek statewide expansion of the state’s repeat offender task force and a new state prosecutor position that could intervene when local prosecutors decline to pursue cases against dangerous offenders. He also wants district attorneys to be subject to impeachment.
Abbott criticized Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa over her record on policing. Texas Democratic Party spokesman Jacob Long rejected the criticism, accusing Abbott of using law enforcement as a political issue and disputing his characterization of Hinojosa’s record.
Abbott also said a $7.5 billion federal reimbursement could help fund his proposed property tax relief plan. He said a “large chunk” of the money could go toward reducing property taxes, while some would continue supporting border security. Abbott projects his proposal could cut the average annual property tax bill by more than $3,000, but he did not provide a timeline.
On a proposed border wall in the Big Bend region, Abbott said the federal government has assured him three times that it will not build a wall, fence or other barrier there.
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